In its 115 year history, your newspaper has attempted to be
an accurate informer, a passionate friend and an objective analyst. But the
role it has enjoyed the most is that that of a fighter and an activist for the
cause of the people. It’s an adage it wears proudly on its sleeve. But no
activism is possible unless there are other activists fighting on the streets
and in the Courts, willing to give up all notions of self for the singular
cause of the land he or she lives in. And starting this year Herald, through a
process which has lasted almost two months and conducted without fuss but with
utmost scrutiny, will pick a person living in Goa, who has fought for a better
Goa, with no purpose or gratification other than love for the land. More
importantly, the person in his or her path of work should have not just
identified problems but offered solutions for a better, sustainable Goa.
HERALD’S PERSON OF THE YEAR 2015 IS CLAUDE ALVARES, DIRECTOR
GOA FOUNDATION
FOR His writ petition in the Supreme Court against illegal
mining which paved the way for all mining illegalities, pointed out by the
Supreme Court since 2007 to cease
FOR his efforts which brought the judgement of his writ
petition and paved the way of auctioning of iron ore and a final potential
earning of Rs 1000 crores or even more, through auctions, when all 15 million
tons of ore lying on the ground is exhausted
FOR bringing to halt the state sponsored open loot and
plunder of Goa’s environment and resources. The after affects of mining
stoppage, which mine owners refuse to accept is a better environment, increased
green cover in and around mining areas, better air quality and proven findings
by the Agriculture department of more hands returning to till the soil leading
to a farming revival.
A Survey of Environmental & Socio-Economic Impacts of Interim
Ban on Mining in Goa, by ERC, an prestigious EIA watchdog reveals
(a) Decrease in air, water and noise pollution
(b) Revival of rivers and wetlands
(c) Positive effects on vegetation, plantations and
agricultural fields
(d) Increase in wildlife sightings
FOR not buckling down to a nervous government’s backlash and
threat to investigate his Goa Foundation’s source of funding, as an angry
reaction to him going to the Supreme
Court against for the manner in which 88 leases were renewed, the same leases
whose operations were declared illegal by the Supreme Court
FOR reaching out and lending a hand and then his full body
and soul for the beleaguered villagers of Tiracol fighting against the Leading
Hotels Golf Course and Villa project, and the Tiracol bridge being built by the
government exclusively for the Leading Hotels under the garb that it would
benefit the villagers
FOR going to court against the construction of the third
Mandovi bridge because a proper and credible Environment Impact Assessment has
not been done And because the bridge
plan will destroy the fragile mangroves in a hyper sensitive ecological spot
FOR going to court to protect you, the tax payer, from
ultimately paying Rs 400 crores for the garbage treatment plant in Saligao and
because the people of Saligao have been fooled into believing that this is just for their village when the
quantum will be much more.
And above all FOR being consistent, whether on the issue of him saying that a permanent
Goenchi Mati permanent fund will give money in the hands of all Goans if the
state takes control of its mineral
wealth as a trustee of the people or saying that in Tuem, you cannot have an
electronic city by forcibly taking land from the people without their consent
or converting pristine agricultural land for industry when none of the two
Regional Plans (2001 and 2021) allow it. He has consistency advocated rules of
law and environment as opposed to the government of Parrikar and Parsekar who
have violated them. The same political forces, like Parrikar, who used him when
in opposition, are now vilifying him for stopping projects.
Claude Alvares is our PERSON OF THE YEAR for all of the
above and not because he has stopped projects. But because he has fought to
stop Goa’s loot.